Before I forget to remind you, be sure to leave a comment for Monday’s NestFresh Giveaway. We choose a winner on Monday, November 10th!
I don’t buy granola at the supermarket.
Why would I, when I can make a healthier homemade granola that saves me money?
Store purchased granola is packed with sugar and sodium, so why would I bother spending my hard earned dollars on a crummy product, when making my own takes minutes.
Don’t be fooled by the “health benefits” of any granola. Don’t get me wrong, I obviously love it, or I wouldn’t waste my time on an entire blog post dedicated to granola. Still, it’s not low calorie, and the health benefits vary depending on how much sugar you add (natural sugars are still sugars), and the type of fats.
I’m a fan of whole grain oats, chia or flax seeds, raw nuts (they’ll get roasted in the cooking process), and honey or maple syrup. This homemade granola recipe takes advantage of the holiday season and adds canned pumpkin to the mix.
A definite nutrition boost!
If you add mini chocolate chips to this pumpkin granola, it takes the whole batch over the top. The combination of pumpkin and chocolate is a match made in heaven, and I’ve reduced the sugar in this granola recipe to compensate for the sugar in the chocolate. Not to mention that the sodium is almost non-existent!
Don’t forget Monday’s NestFresh Giveaway. Be sure to comment by Sunday November 9th! We choose a winner on Monday, November 10th!
Now get busy and create your own homemade granola with your favorite healthy ingredients. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed!
~Kristi
PrintServing Size: 18 each 1/2 cup servings
Ingredients
- 6 cups oats
- 4 ounces chia seeds
- 1 cup pepitas
- ½ tablespoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree
- 2 tablespoons grape seed oil
- 1 cups mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In an extra large bowl combine oats, chia seeds, pepitas and cinnamon.
- Add vanilla, pumpkin puree and grape seed oil.
- Combine well with your hands.
- Pour onto the cookie sheet and bake for 60 minutes until lightly browned, with the texture of a crunchy granola. Stir every 15 - 20 minutes to keep from burning. Granola continues to dry out as it cools, so take care not to burn it, trying to get that crunchy texture.
- Add chocolate chips.
- Store in an air tight container.
Notes
Food energy: 254kcal Saturated fatty acids: 2.93g Monounsaturated fatty acids: 3.00g Polyunsaturated fatty acids: 4.74g Total fat: 10.67g Calories from fat: 96 Cholesterol: -- Carbohydrate, by difference: 34.14g Total dietary fiber: 7.94g Protein: 7.46g Total lipid (fat): 11.63g Water: 20.40g Ash: 1.48g Total sugars: 5.63g Calcium: 69mg Iron: 2.43mg Magnesium: 129mg Phosphorus: 293mg Potassium: 231mg Sodium: 52mg
2.6http://motherrimmy.com/homemade-granola-pumpkin-pepitas-chia-seed-granola/Mother Rimmy�s Cooking Light Done Right by Kristin A. Rimkus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
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